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Article #1: The Truth About Daily Naps and Insomnia

So many experts proclaiming they have a cure for insomnia issue this solemn advice: “NEVER take a nap during the day.” They warn that daytime napping will ruin any chance of someone with insomnia from having a good night’s sleep. Nod off after lunch, they say, and you’ll be staring at the ceiling come 2 a.m. Folks, it’s utter nonsense. Insomniacs can and should benefit from an afternoon nap. Indeed, I’m one of the world’s greatest (and most enthusiastic) nappers. I’ll often find an empty meeting room at work during the lunchtime break and snooze for 10, 20 sometimes 30 minutes. I awake rested, refreshed and ready for the afternoon’s tasks. You can nap, too, but not just because I say so. The thing is, napping is in our genes, as Prof. Jim Horne of Britain’s Loughborough Sleep Research Centre explains: “Humans are designed for two sleeps a day – the main one at night and a nap in the afternoon – which explains why people in the warmer parts of the world have an afternoon siesta, and why the rest of us are likely to be sleepy at this time.” Reading that, are you experiencing a “light bulb moment”? Have you suddenly thought about all those people at work and home who yawn after lunch and announce they feel sleepy? Is it any wonder energy levels are low in the early afternoon and people take so long to return to the pace of the morning? Look no further than babies and young children who need their afternoon nap. In fact, defying the body’s urge to sleep at this time could be bad for your health: One intensive Greek study of almost 24,000 men and women over six years found that those who took a 30-minute siesta at least three times a week had a 37 per cent lower risk of a heart-related death than non-nappers! Other studies suggest people who live in countries that observe the siesta have lower rates of heart disease. So what do we in the west do? We invent the “working lunch” that a) interferes with a relaxed digestion and b) denies our brains some down time from the stress of the day. Of course, napping is a serious issue for people with insomnia. Many spend every night in a series of naps instead of a deep, refreshing sleep. These people feel so tired that they could nap at the drop of a hat anytime during the day. I sympathize because I’ve been in that exhausted state. But for napping to work, it has to be at the right time and in the right place. Early afternoon is best, preferably in a quiet room with dimmed lighting. If that’s not possible at work, you could always go to your car – I’ve reclined the driver’s seat, put on shades and had some marvelous naps in the office car park! And speaking of the length of the nap, shorter is definitely better. In fact, scientists at the University of Dusseldorf in Germany recently reported that volunteer student nappers who slept for just six minutes performed better in subsequent memory tests than students who’d been kept awake. OK, six minutes is a bit too short for me – I prefer the generally recommended 20-30 minutes. And I usually wake up spontaneously, as if my brain is saying, “Right, I’m ready to go again.” If you have insomnia, train yourself to have a daily afternoon nap if at all possible. You not only need the rest, but should incorporate such naps into your overall quest to cure your insomnia.

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Article #2: Sleepy Drivers - The Deadly Threat On Our Roads

Sleepy Drivers - The Deadly Threat On Our Roads Your eyes are heavy, your head starts to nod and pretty soon you’re taking an impromptu nap. Trouble is, you’re not in your favourite chair at home, but behind the wheel of your car. Or the huge semi-trailer you drive for a living. If you’re lucky, you’ll wake up before you lose control and veer off the road . . . or into oncoming traffic. But if you don’t wake up, you’ll never know what hit you - and neither will the poor victims in your path. Welcome to the world of sleepy drivers - coming soon to a road near you. Virtually every driver at some point has had to pull over for a rest break because they desperately needed to close their eyes. Think about the annual family vacation, for example. You’ve only driven around town or your city for the past year and suddenly you’re heading off on a journey of several hundred miles with a vehicle full of noisy kids. You didn’t sleep much the night before because of all the packing and last minute things that had to be done around the house. If you make an early start, there’s a pretty good chance your partner and the kids will soon be taking a nap while you focus on the road. Soon, you’ll join them . . . Of all the activities to engage in after a poor night’s sleep, driving is right up there with the most dangerous. Yet we do it ALL THE TIME!! The U.S. National Commission on Sleep Disorders conducted a survey that found drowsiness was a factor in half of all traffic collisions and a staggering 36 per cent of fatal accidents. The U.K. government found that 20 per cent of so-called “accidents” that resulted in death and serious injury were caused by drivers who were drowsy or suffering from a sleep disorder. 11 per cent of British drivers admitted to having fallen asleep at the wheel. New research from Stanford University suggests that driving while you are tired is as dangerous as drunk driving. If you nod off easily in work meetings, at home or feel excessively sleepy when driving, it’s time to get yourself to the doctor’s office for a check-up. You might have a serious medical condition like sleep apnea (Greek for “without breath”) which prevents you from getting a good night‘s sleep, making you excessively drowsy during the day. Don’t put that appointment it off - your next nap could kill you and those near and dear to you. While I recommend a medical check-up for excessive tiredness and heavy snoring, many of us suffer from short- or long-term insomnia. We just aren’t getting the rest we need because of lifestyle, stress and anxiety, shift work and other causes. I address those issues in my book Banish Insomnia (see below), but there are some simple things all of us should do to make sure we are fit to hit the road. First, remember that most adults need 7-8 hours sleep. Don’t think you’ll get away with three or four, especially if you’re been partying. Your reactions will be dulled and you’ll be a danger to yourself and other road users. Second, share the driving if at all possible, particularly on a long trip. Third, plan on plenty of rest breaks. It’s a macho, dumb “guy thing” to think you can drive all day without stopping just because you’re impatient to get there. Relax, your destination isn’t going anywhere. I say two hours, three maximum, is long enough in one stretch to be focused on the road and other vehicles. Fourth, make sure you are particularly well rested before driving at night, when you are contending with dazzling lights and poor visibility. Don’t start driving in the dark if you’ve been working hard all day. Take a nap first and if you still feel tired, delay the journey. Fifth, read your maps and know where you are going. The combination of tiredness and confusion in a strange city can be deadly.

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Article #3: Late Nights Are a "Hidden" Cause of Insomnia

OK, party girl or party boy – I don’t want to spoil the fun, but if you’re having trouble sleeping don’t you think it’s time to erase a few entries on your busy social calendar? I enjoy the bright lights, music and fun times as much as anyone, but you really can have too much of a good thing – particularly if you suffer from insomnia. They used to call it “burning the candle at both ends” – the urge to go out and whoop it up every night of the week. It’s great if you’re a) young and b) able to easily fall into a deep, restful sleep after a night on the town. But life’s not like that for many of us. The pressure of maintaining a career and juggling children, a mortgage and other responsibilities is reality soon after we’ve blown out 21 candles on the birthday cake. And yet, the subtle pressures are there for us to “enjoy life” while we’re still young enough. That means going out, even when our aching bodies and weary brains are telling us not to. Some young marrieds don’t want to lose touch with their still-single friends (who they sometimes secretly envy) so they hire a baby sitter and hit the old haunts. And it’s not just couples. Singles looking to fill their free time make a habit of “going out”. Often that means one or more alcoholic drinks. Since alcohol disrupts normal sleep it doesn’t take many such evenings to frazzle even the most youthful brain. Fragmented sleep leads to poor concentration during the day and actually makes you progressively more tired. Married or single, it’s completely cool if you can manage a busy social life and still get the sleep you need. But if you’re beginning to notice how dog tired you are some days it’s definitely time to take a long hard look at whether the price of enjoying yourself is too high. As British sleep expert Dr. Neil Stanley says: “We live in a tired society . . . the days when we feel really good are incredibly rare. We work and play hard and time has become irrelevant. Sleep is seen as something you snatch when you are finished with everything else.” Even when we stay home we’re either glued to the TV, surfing the Internet or e-mailing or texting our friends. There’s precious little down time for our minds to relax. There’s a good reason why Friday and Saturday nights are still the best nights of the week to let your hair down – you don’t have to go to work next day! If you are having trouble sleeping and are honest enough to admit you’ve been going out one too many times during the week, try a couple of weeks in which you cut socializing to weekends only. During the week, give yourself a night or two in which you pull the plug on the TV and computer and read a book instead. Or go to bed early. If you find your sleep and overall well-being improves from following these simple steps your brain will thank you for listening.

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Article #4: Shift Work - A Major Trigger for Insomnia

While the rest of us sleep, a nocturnal army of people keeps the world turning. Electrical engineers, police and fire crews, doctors, nurses, paramedics, airline, train and bus crews are among the millions who toil in the wee hours. Let’s not also forget the 24-hour convenience store clerks - or the overnight supermarket staff who restock the shelves so they’re full when the first shoppers arrive at 8 a.m. It’s estimated that a quarter of the population works shifts – and they’re among the highest risk group for insomnia and a wide range of other health problems. The reason is simple: working at night disrupts the internal body clock. Simply put, nature intended humans to toil during the day and sleep at night. It’s why the brain produces the sleep chemical melatonin when darkness falls. Constantly changing shift schedules – mornings, afternoons, nights – can lead to poor, fragmented sleep and chronic fatigue. If you’ve ever taken a long plane ride that crosses several time zones, leaving you feeling “jet-lagged” you’ll know exactly what I mean. Now, imagine the equivalent of taking that flight every day and you’ll understand why many shift workers have such a hard time getting the rest they need. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety says rotating shifts have been linked to nuclear power plant accidents, airplane crashes and other catastrophes. No surprise when you consider the maximum human awareness and performance is between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and at its lowest between 3:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Even more worrying is the impact shift work has upon your health. A Swedish study found men who’d had heart attacks were far more likely to have been shift workers. Other scientists have found shift workers are prone to heart ailments and gastrointestinal disorders. Add the disruption to family life and it’s hard to find a good reason why anyone would want to work while the rest of us sleep. I know I couldn’t. I ended up begging to be moved off the night shift because I just couldn’t sleep during the day and got so miserable and cranky I considered quitting the job. Fortunately, I had a sympathetic boss, but millions of people have no choice but to work irregular hours. And there are some lucky ones who seem to have adapted to shift work * If you must work shifts, there are some things you can do to ease the stress on your system, including: * Stay fit. Stave off the groggy daytime feelings by taking a brisk walk, bike ride or going to the gym for an hour. Your body and mind will both feel refreshed. * If you are going to sleep during the daytime your bedroom must be as dark as you can make it. Any light in the room will disrupt sleep. In summer, an air conditioner and fan will help immensely because stifling heat and good sleep do not go together. * Eat properly at work and avoid the temptation to get greasy fast food from a nearby restaurant. Better to take nutritious food from home, including fruit. Avoid caffeinated coffee. * Ask if different shift patterns are a possibility – four 12-hour shifts is better than five 8-9 hour shifts because there’s a three-day rest period between them. And make sure you get a 24-hour break before switching shifts (from mornings to nights, for example). If, despite your best efforts, you still can’t sleep properly because of shift work it might be time to consider a career change to cure insomnia. Your health – and sleep – must come first.

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